Machine for operating upon shoe uppers



Feb. 10, 1959 FOSS'A 2,872,691

MACHINE FOR OPEATING UPON SHOE UPPERS Filed Deo. 19. 1952 11 sheets-sheet 1" Feb. 10,1959 '.1. FossA 2,872,691

MACHINE FOR'OPERATING UPON SHOE UPPERS Filed DSG.l 19, 1952 L J0 W 76 ill Sheets-Shes?l 2 @y his Afofne Feb. 10, 1959 JfFosSA wmcHmE FOR OPERATINGUPON SHOE UPPERs Filed Dec. 19. 1952 Inventor Jos-@ph .270560. By his Attorney WM M Feb. 10, 1959 J. FossA 2,872,691

' MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE UPPERS F11-ed Deo. 19. 1952 11 sheets-sheet 4 Invento Jbjeph FOSSO: By his A# Feb. 10, 1959 .1. FossA 2,872,691

MACHINE FOR OPERATINGl UPON SHOE UPPERS Filed Deo. 19, 1952 1l Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor Joseph Fossa By hisI Atorfze Feb. 10, 1-959 J. FossA 2,872,691

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE UPPERS Filed Dec. 1e. 1952 `11 sheets-sheet e `Inventor ,D Josep/'z :Ff-:Essa

By his Attorney WW1/W Feb. 10, 1959 '.1. FossA MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE UPPERS 11 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 19. 1952 aw wim s ,.mnmfr e A vhPS .mfm @WW 2 .6 27 Q O 2 4/ 22. ou

Feb.-10, 1959 J. FossA 2,872,691

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE UPPERS Filed Deo. 19. 1952 11 sheets-snaai 8 [n ventor Jos e/b-L Foss cz Feb. 10, 1 959 L FQssA v 2,872,691

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE UPPERS Filed Dec. 19. 1952 ll Sheets-Shee?l 9 44g am 440 43 In Venter Joseph Fossa By his Aorney Feb. 10, 1959 J. FossA 2,872,691

MACHINE `FOR OPERATING UPON sHoE: UPPERS Filed Dec. 19.1952 N 11 sheets-sheet 1o Inventor Jose/bh ssa By his Aor'neg/ Feb. 10, 1959 j. FossA 2,872,691

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE UPPERS Filed Deo. 19. 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet-ll -1: l [ng/enter f I dbsph szsa l .By his Azfor'n'e/ MACHINE non OPERATING UPON sHoEUPPERS Joseph Fossa, Lynn, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New-Jersey Application December 19, 1952, serial No. 326,948

s4 claims. (ci. 12.-51)

The present invention relates to improvements in a machine for operating upon a shoe upper preparatory for the assembly of an upper with other shoe parts on a last.

The invention is in the nature of an improvementupon the machine for automatically eyeleting and lacing the eyeleted upper 4shown in Ithe patent to Fossa, No. 2,461,889, dated February 15, 1949, for Machine and Method for Manufacture of Shoes. The machine referred to in general provides a rotatable work supporting turret on which are carried four radially movable workholders each provided with clamping devices for support- I ing the upper with the lacing margins thereof in an openedvout edge-facing relation and with .the counter portion of the upper extendingradially inwardly on the workholder toward the axis of the turret. Disposed about the turret are a loading stationincluding means lwhich enable the operator .to locate and to secure the upper on the workholder in an exactly predetermined position in accordance with the size and style of the upper to be operated upon. By successive quarter turns ofthe turret the workholder` and upper supported .thereonfare brought successively into operating relation with an eyeleting machine for inserting eyelets in successive pairs in `the upper, and into operating relation with a lacing machine for lacing the eyeleted upper. A further quarter turn of the turret brings the workholder to an unloading station at which the eyeleted and laced upper is released from the workholderpreparatory for removal from the machine. The adjustments for size and style of upper imparted to the locating device at the loading station are transferred with the workholder to the eyeleting and thereafter tothe lacing machines to cause the eyelets to be properly located and spaced in the upper at the locating station, and to cause the lacings thereaftertowbe passed accurately through the eyelet holes.

The machine of `the Fossa patent referred to is adapted only for the holding of the upper with the lacing aps in an inside up position for the insertion ofr invisible eyelets in the upper.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a novel construction of the work supporting and work transfer devices of the machine which is well .adapted for supporting and for presenting a shoe upper to the operating mechanisms with the eyelet tlaps in an inside up position for the insertion of invisible eyelets, and alternatively for presenting the shoe upper to the operating mechanisms with the eyelet flaps in an outside up position for the insertion of visible eyelets if so desired.

Other objects of the invention relates-more specifically to novel construction of the several work supporting and guiding instrumentalities ofthe machine and of the operating devices associated therewith to provide for the greater versatility and usefulness of the machine in oper-y ating upon shoe uppers.

With these and other objects in view as may lhereinafter appear, a feature of the invention consistsin the construction and arrangement of .the turret and work support as- 2,872,691 PatentedFeb. 10, 1959 semblies including the workholders and guideways therefor to provide for adequate counter clearance inwardly :toward the axis of the turret for an upper located on the worlcholder in :an outside-up position and with the counter portion of the upper extending downwardly in an encircling position about the work support assembly.

.Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of novel and improved upper locating devices under the control of the operator for accurately positioning the upper on the workholder at the locating station, said detvices being particularly constructed and arranged to permit fth'e ready positioning of the upper on the workholder in either an inside-up or an outside-up position. In the illustrated construction the pair of locating pins provided for engagement with edged portions of the ankle adja- .cent the lacing margin and the associated margin engaging lin are mounted on a slide which is loosely supported for sliding movement on the workholder axially of the turret and forms an integral part of `the Workholder unit. The position of the slideis accurately determined at the locating station by means of adjusting devices under the .control of the operator including a gate cam disposed beneath and toward the axis of the turret for engagement with a downwardly and radially inwardly extending follower member associated with the locating slide. The more outwardly disposed separating lin provided for engagement between the lacing margins at the toe end thereof is mounted yon a spring plate which is fastened tothe turrety andextends laterally outwardly beneath the guideyway. This spring supported iin is normally maintained in operating position being, however, moved downwardly to `au inoperative position upon movement of .the turret and workholder therewith to each of the successive eyeleting and Vlacing stations.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision rof an improved vamp spreading and clamping device whichconsists of two movable clamping elements, one 4movable from below and `the other from above the level of the supported lacing margins to support portions of the vamp engaged therebetween in a spread-out position, andv a toggle mechanism constructed and arranged for effecting a simultaneous movement of the vamp spreader elements to and from the clamping position.

Other features disclosed relate to certain constructions and arrangements of parts in the machine including an improved arrangement of the guiding surfaces thereon .to assist in the transfer of the supported upper on the turret to successive stations, to -better support and to guide outlying portions of the clamped upper when moved outwardly from the turret for each of the eyeleting and lacing operations, and to further support the downwardly eX- tending counter portion of the upper when mounted on the machine for the insertion of the visible eyelets during that portion of the operation when the eyeleted and laced upper is released and is removed from the machine. yThe several features of the invention consist also in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed which, together with the advantages to be obtained thereby, will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of an automatic machine for eyeleting and for lacing the eyeletedl shoe upper illustrating particularly the work supporting and transfer assembly of'the machine including the turret and four workholders;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in elevation on an enlarged scale of the trip mechanism indicated in plan in Fig. l controlled by the'downward movement of the upper .vamp spreader for'tlirowing the machine into operation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the turret mechanism shown in Fig. 1 illustrating one of the workholders with an upper clamped therein, a second workholder in its open position and a third workholder partially broken away to show underlying parts;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in side elevation on a still larger scale illustrating particularly the toggle control and toggle trip mechanisms for the vamp spreaders with the toggle straightened and the spreaders in the clamping position;

Fig. 5 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 4 but with the toggle connection broken and the vamp spreaders fully retracted to their open position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the vamp spreader hinge looking from the left of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation of the turret and workholder assembly partly sectioned on a section line passing through the turret axis, two of the workholders disposed respectively at the eyeleting and unloading stations being shown;

Fig. 8 is an isometric view looking from below illustrating portions of one of the workholders, and the shoe upper locating slide with the locating pins and fin slidably mounted on the Workholder;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail plan view of one of the workholder assemblies partly in section to illustrate particularly the lace measuring unit associated therewith;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view in elevation of one 'of the workholder assemblies shown in Fig. 7 looking outwardly from the axis of the turret;

Fig. 11 is a somewhat fragmentary plan view of the work supporting turret casing including the cover for the turret casing, the locating device, the feed slides at each of the eyeleting and lacing stations, and certain of the upper guiding and shielding surfaces provided in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 12 is a somewhat fragmentary plan view of certain of the driving and control devices including the turret drive and the mechanism for transferring the shoe upper size adjustment to each of the eyeleting and lacing machines;

Fig. 13 is a somewhat fragmentary view looking from the right of the eyeleting machine toward the turret axis to illustrate the raised position of the eyeleting and lacing machines relatively to the base and the turret, and more particularly the relation of the present disclosure to the more complete disclosure of Fossa Patent No. 2,461,889;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view of the eyeleting machine looking radially outwardly from the turret in order to illustrate the shoe upper supporting and guiding devices associated with the eyeleting machine feed slide;

Figs. 15 to 21, inclusive, are views illustrating a modied form of the invention in which vamp spreaders provided with hook elements are caused to engage with and remove stray, overlying portions of the lining material from the operating zone of the eyeleting and lacing mechanisms;

Fig. 15 being a :fragmentary plan view of the machine illustrating particularly the work supporting and transfer assembly including the turret and two of four work holders mounted therefrom;

Fig. 16 is a detail view in side elevation of one of the work holder assemblies at the loading station with the parts in position as the clamp spreaders are closed causing micro-switch control rod 226 to be depressed to start the machine;

Fig. 17 is a somewhat fragmentary plan view of the pivoted vamp spreader unit at the eyeleting station, the parts being shown in positions taken with the actuating arms 462 and 482 engaged with the respective vamp spreaders; v

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 17 in which the actuating arms have moved the vamp spreader 488 and the associated under-vamp spreader, not shown,outwardly to clear the shoe lining material from the path of the eyelet inserting mechanism;

Fig. 19 is a view taken at the completion of the eyeleting operation at which the eyeleting mechanism has been moved outwardly to the star-ting position, but leaving the vamp spreaders and actuating arms also in their extended positions;

Fig. 20 is an elevation looking from the rear of the mechanism shown, for example, in Fig. 15 for causing the vamp spreader actuating arms to be moved to the actuating position; and

Fig. 21 is an enlarged detail view in elevation, partly in section, looking from the lower side of Fig. 19 illustrating particularly the manner in which overlying portions of the shoe lining are pulled away from the location of the tirst eyelet pair in the upper.

Referring to the drawings, the general arrangement of the improved machine disclosed for performing related eyeleting and lacing operations upon a shoe upper is generally indicated in the plan views, Figs. l, 3, 11, landvlZ and in the partly sectioned side view, Fig. 7, only so much of the machine, however, being shown as is believed necessary to illustrate the connection of the present invention therewith. For a more detailed disclosure of the machine, reference may be had to the Fossa Patent No. 2,461,889, above referred to. In the present disclosure, the base of the machine is generally indicated at 50 and includes a cylindrical casing 52 within which is mounted anindexing work supporting turret. The turret provides support for four workholders 132 which are mounted on guideways 131 extending radially outward from the turret at angles from one another. At the front side of the machine, there is provided a locating station which comprises a locating mechanism generally indicated at P for the assistance of the operator in locating and clamping successive uppers on the workholders. At the remaining stations proceeding in a counterclockwise direction around the turret there are provided an eyeleting mechanism generally indicated at 'I, a lacing mechanism generally indicated at L, and a fourth station between the lacing and loading station to which the workholding clamps are released.

The indexing turret, which is in certain respects similar and is supported and actuated in a manner similar to that of the Fossa patent referred to, comprises a vertically disposed hollow pivot shaft 54 which is rotatably sup ported in a sleeve bearing member 62 formed at its lower end with an outwardly extending flangc secured by screws 64 to a bed plate 66 which forms a. rigid portion of the machine frame. At its upper end the turret shaft 54 carries a large circular disc 68 secured to rotate with the shaft 60. In the present construction the disc 68 is utilized to provide a support for a newly added turret structure hereinafter to be described. ln each quadrant of the disc 68 on the underside thereof there is provided an aperture 69 for engagement with a detcnt plunger 70 which acts to positively locate the turret in each successive indexed position. A cover 71, comprised of two semicircular cover members sccurcd to the top of the turret casing 52 and overlying the dise 65, serves to protect the mechanism housed in the casing from accumulations of dirt or other extraneous matter. lmmediately inside the Vcover 71 is a fixed ring bearing member 72 which is secured against movement with relation to theeturret casing 52 by means of two radially extending support bars 73 (see Figs. 7 and 11).

The turret is arranged to be driven through connections which include a Geneva mechanism and a drive shaft having a worm gear connection with the Geneva mechanism, as indicated in Fig. 12, together with a clutching and braking mechanism and an electric motor, not here specifically described. The driving connections shown in Fig. 12 comprise specifically a star wheel 74 secured to the hollow turret shaft 54 beneath the bed plate 66 garnaal and having formed thereonfour radially disposed slots 76 which are engaged in turn by a roll 78 mounted on'a Geneva driving arm 80 on a vertically disposed drive shaft 82. A worm wheel S4 secured to the lower end of the drive shaft 82 meshes with a worm 86 on the forward end of a drive shaft 87 which extends rearwardly through the base of thev machine to the motor and clutching devices above referred to.

Further in accordance with the disclosure of the Fossa patent above referred to, the illustrated machine is provided with a size adjustment control mechanism adapted for effecting adjustment of each of the several cooperating mechanisms for locating, supporting and operating on shoe uppers in accordance with the spacing of the eyelets of the shoe uppers being operated upon. The size adjustment mechanism comprises, generally, a manual control lever 88 (see Fig. 12) which is secured to and extends upwardly from a supporting pivot shaft 89. The manual control lever 88 is adjusted by the operator in accordance with the size of shoe upper about to be placed in the Workholder. The setting of the manual control is operative to effect an adjustment of the shoe upper locating mechanism at the loading station vand at the same time controls the position of a traveling cam which transfers this adjustment to the feed mechanism associated with each of the eyeleting and lacing machines in turn in timed relation to the indexing movement of the turret. While the mechanism for transferring the size adjustment to the eyeleting and lacing machines is fully described in the Fossa patent above referred to and forms no part of the present invention, portions of this mechanism, as illustrated in Fig. 12 of the drawings, include a cam drum 90 and four axially shiftable wing cams 92 mounted thereon, these parts being driven in timed relation from the turret through gearing which includes a bevelled gear 94 on pivot shaft 96 which carries the cam drum 90, a vertically extending counter shaft 98, a bevel gear 100 which meshes with bevel gear 94, and a pair of gears (not shown) which are mounted in meshing relation respec. tively on the shaft 98 and turret shaft 54.

The wing cams 92 are presented in succession by the rotation of the drum 90 to each of four stations which correspond respectively to the loading, eyeleting, and lacing stations, and to a fourth inactive station to which the work supports are presented by the rotation of the turret shaft 54. At the first of these stations, each wing cam 92, each time it passes through said station, is positioned axially of the drum 90 by means of a cam engaging lever 101 controlled by the size adjustment manual control lever 88. During the next indexing movement of the turret shaft 54 and drum 90 therewith the wing cam is locked inits adjusted position by means, not here specifically shown, and is brought into engagement with a feed control follower element, also not here shown, which extends beneath the drum and is connected with the vertically disposed link 102 indicated in Fig. 13 associated with the eyeleting machine. Thereafter during another indexing movement of the turret shaft 54 and drum 90 the wing cam, still locked in adjusted position, is brought into engagement with a feed control follower mechanism associated with the lacing mecha- Anism to transfer the adjustment for size in accordance with the setting of the hand lever 88 iirst to the eyeleting station and then to the lacing station in synchronism vwith the transfer of the vassociated work support and upper mounted thereon. The connections controlled by -the cam 92 for adjusting the feed mechanism associated with the lacing mechanism as best shown in Figs. 12

and 13 include a cam follower 104 carried on an arm 106 on a rock shaft 10S, another arm 110 on the rock shaft being connected through a vertically disposed link ,112 with one arm of a lever 114 mounted to turn in the vfixed pivot 115 and the other arm of the lever 114 being connected by` means of a link 116 with the lacing' inachine feed adjusting mechanism.

Adjustment of the size adjustment control lever 88 operates through appropriate connections to effect a corresponding adjustment in the position of the locating device at the loading station. These connections as generlally indicated in Figs. ll and l2 include a rotatable f pinion 127 on shaft 124 meshes with a rack formed in a locating pin adjustment slide 128 hereinafter more fully to be described.

In carrying out the present invention the turret and workholders associated therewith are constructed and arranged to receive the opened-out upper either with the inside surface of the lacing margins facing upwardly or alternatively with the outside surface of the lacing margins facing upwardly on the workholder, and to present the clamped upper in either of these positions at each of the several operating stations of the machine. In vthe illustrated machine the shoe upper is loaded onto the workholder at the loading station with the encircling heel portion thereof toward the axis of the turret and with the toe portion of the upper extending outwardly. When the upper is placed on the workholder with the inside surface of the lacing margins facing upwardly, the encircling heel portion is disposed around the movable clamping member and the lace measuring finger. In accordance with the invention the turret assembly including turret, workholders, and the several operating controls for the workholders are particularly constructed and arranged to provide adequate clearance so that the heel portion of the upper may readily be slipped radially ontol the workholder with the outside surface of the lacing margins facing upwardly and with the encircling heel portion of the upper extending downwardly in an encircling position about the base portion of the workholder and associated guideway.

With the present construction the turret is provided with an upward extension or hub 129 which is rigidly secured to the turret shaft 54 and disc 68 and is formed with a table top 138 which is of substantially smaller di-A ameter than the disc 68 previously referred to (see Figs. 3 and 7). At its lower end the hub 129 is externally supported by the sleeve bearing member 72. The table top 130 provides support for four guideways 131 (see Fig. 3) which extend radially outwardly from the turret at angles -to one another to receive the respective workholders 132. It will be noted that the guideways are each formed of two rails spaced from one another to form an open slot therebetween and that radially extending channels 133 are cut into the table top 130, forming inward extensions of the slots provided between'the rails of the respective guideways. A second channel 134 cut inwardly into the periphery of the table top in parallel relation to each channel 133 is adapted to receive the shank portion of the lower vamp spreader 148 when the vamp spreader is in its downwardly projecting open position, and the workholderv has been retracted on its support as shown in Fig. 5.

Each Workholder 132 of the illustrated construction, see Figs. 7 and 8, comprises a generally U-shaped member having outwardly flanged edges 135 forming guides which ride under the recessed edges of the rail guideway 131, and two parallel sets of upwardly extending resiliently mounted pins 136 (see Fig. 7) which form the lower relatively stationary elements of a clamping device for engaging the two adjoining edge portions of the upper. Each of the stationary clamping elements is formed toward its outer end with a laterally extending tab 137 which is particularly adapted to engage with and support the tongue portion of the shoe upper in a folded-over outof-the-way position for the outside-up position of the upper on the workholder as shown, for example, in Fig. 7. Said tabs 137 are similar in shape to and underlie tabs 158 shown in plan in Fig. 3 attached to the cooperating upper jaws 146 of the clamping device as hereinafter described. The workholder 132 is formed with a vertically disposed post socket 138 (see Figs. 7 and 8) which projects downwardly from the closed end of the workholder adjacent the axis of the turret and is arranged to support for vertical adjustment therein a measuring bar support post hereinafter to be described. The socket 138 projects downwardly through the aperture formed by the channel 133 and separated rails of the guideway 131 and is freely movable therein with the workholder on the guideway 131.

As in the Fossa patent referred to, the workholders are normally maintained in a fully retracted position on their guideways 131, that is, a position toward the axis of the turret. However, at each of the eyeleting and lacing stations the workholder is operatively connected with a feed slide which acts to impart a stepped feeding movement to the workholder and upper mounted thereon outwardly into operating relation with the respective eyeleting and lacing mechanisms, and thereafter to return the workholder to the normally retracted position on the turret preparatory to a further indexing movement of the turret. In the illustrated construction an improved means is provided for normally locking the several workholders in their retracted positions, which will not interfere with the loading and unloading of the upper onto the workholder or with the transfer and feeding movements of the workholder and shoe upper supported on the turret for either of the alternate outside-up and inside-up positions of the upper on the workholder. As best shown in Fig. 7, the downwardly extending socket 138 associated with each workholder has secured thereto a downwardly extending cam follower member 139 which is adapted to ride in a circumferential slot 160 formed in the upper face of the bearing ring 72. At each of the eyeletting and lacing stations a radially disposed gateway 141 is provided from the slot to permit the workholder to be moved freely outwardly on its guideway 131. ln accordance with the disclosure of the Fossa patent above referred to, each of the eyeleting and lacing machines is provided with a feed slide which is operatively connected with the workholder presented at the particular station, and which thereafter acts to feed the workholder into the respective machines and then to return the workholdcr to its retracted transfer position. The feed slide associated with the eyeleting machine is indicated at 142 (see Fig. 7) having a bifurcated outer end 143 notched for locking engagement with correspondingly formed notches 144 in the workholder. lacing machine is indicated at 145 (see Fig. ll) similarly formed with a bifurcated and notched outer end portion for engagement with the workholders presented successively thereto by the indexing movement of the turret.

Each workholder 132 as shown, for example, in Fig. 7, has mounted thereon a pair of movable work clamping jaws 146, a pair of vamp spreaders 147, 143, and a lace measuring or alotting bar 149. The work clamping jaws 146 comprise a pair of lever arms which are supported intermediate their length on a pivot shaft 150 on the workholder 132 (see Figs. 3 and 7), and are connected at their rear ends to identical toggle links 151 which are pivotally connected to toggle links 152 rotatably supported on a laterally extending pivot pin 153 at the rear end of the workhol'der 132. The toggle links 152 are connected to turn as a single unit by a strap 154 arranged to be engaged by an actuating lug 155 secured to the upper end of an axially movable control shaft 156 which is preferably connected to be moved downwardly by a treadle control, not here specifically shown.

The feed slide associated with the tion of the upper.

Downward movement of the control shaft 156 causes the lug to engage and depress the strap 154 to straighten the toggle links 151, 152 and thereby to effect a simultaneous movement of the clamping levers to clamping position. A small tension spring 157 connected between one of the clamping levers and work support tends normally to maintain the clamp in its open or disengaged position. Each of the clamping jaws 146 is provided with a horizontally disposed tab 158, shown for example in Fig. 3, which projects laterally outwardly from the lacing slit and is particularly intended to engage with and support the tongue portion of a shoe upper in a folded-over out-of-the-way position for the inside-up position of the upper. For the outside-up position of the upper, the horizontally disposed tabs 158 assist in holding in a flattened-out position adjacent portions of the upper which may not be adequately engaged by the vamp spreader.

The work clamping jaws 146 are released prior to the final indexing movement which transfers the work support with the eyeleted and laced upper held thereon back to the loading station by means of an automatic release mechanism which is substantially similar to corresponding mechanism in the Fossa patent. The clamp release mechanism acts during the third indexing movement of the work support, i. e., during the indexing movement which serves to transfer the work support away from the lacing mechanism to a position at the left side of the machine, as indicated, for example, in Fig. 7. Clamp release plungers 162 are provided one for each work support journaled to slide in vertical drills in the turret beneath the straps 154 of the clamp toggle connections, so that upward movement of any one of the plungers will cause the head thereof to engage and move the cooperating strap 154 upwardly to break the toggle connection, and thereby to release the toggle clamp. Substantially at the completion of each indexing movement of the turret the plunger 162 associated with the workholder which has been moved to the position at the left of the loading station, is moved upwardly into engagement with the strap 154 to break the clamp toggle links 151, 152 by the action of a slide 164 (see Fig. 7) supported for vertical movement in a relatively stationary guideway formed in a sleeve member 166 keyed to the fixed sleeve bearing element 62. The connections for raising the slide 164 and the contacting plunger 162 therewith (see Figs. 7 and l2) comprise a face cam 168 formed on a cam plate 170 on the drive shaft 82 of the Geneva motion, and a cam follower lever 172 secure/d to a rock shaft 174. Another arm 176 secured to the rock shaft 174 is connected by a link 178 with a lever arm 180 secured to a rock shaft 182 to which is also secured an actuating arm 184 having a roll 186 for engagement with a traverse slot in the slide 164.

A feature of the present disclosure consists in the provision of an improved device for spreading and supporting the vamp portion of the upper in a flattened-out condition during the work transfer, eyeleting and lacing operations. As best shown in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, upper and lower vamp spreaders 147, 148 are associated with each workholder, the vamp spreaders 147, 148 being each formed and arranged to swing about a common pivot and connected for related movements to engage simultaneously against opposite faces of the vamp por- Each of the arms 147, 148 is provided at its outer end with a relatively slender, curved lateral extension 192 which for the engaging position of the vamp spreader passes across the vamp portion of the upper immediately beyond the end of the lacing slit. 1t will be noted that each extension 192 has a cut-away portion 194 which serves to provide additional space for the performance of the eyeleting and lacing operations along the length of the lacing slit in the upper. The vamp spreader arms 147, 148 are connected to move toward and away from each other as a unit by means of a toggle connection consisting of a toggle link 196 and a toggle link 198 connected together by a pivot pin 200. The link 196 is connected at its free end to an arm 202 extending rearwardly from the base of the vamp spreader 147, and the free endof the toggle link 198 is similarly connected to a rearwardly extending arm 204 formed integrally with the vamp spreader 148. For the further control of the toggle connection, the toggle connecting pivot pin 200 is provided at one end With a cam roll 206 which rides in a U-shaped slot 208 formed in a block 210 secured to the workholder 132. A weighted arm 212 forming a right angle extension of toggle link 198 provides a convenient manual' means for straightening the toggle when desired. In order t-o move the vamp spreader unit to its closed position, the operator pushes the vamp spreader 147 downwardly. The weighted arm 212 which is thus caused Vto move from the position of Fig. to the position of Fig. 4 will have suilicient momentum to move the toggle links to a past center locking position.

The vamp spreader is automatically released at the same time that the clamping jaws clamping the upper in position are opened by means of connections actuated from the work clamp toggle connections. The operating connections referred to include a rock shaft 214 carried on a bracket 216 fixed on the workholder. An upwardly extending arm 218 secured to the rock shaft 214 is arranged to be engaged by an upwardly extending lever arm 220 mounted on pivot 153 to turn as a unit with the toggle link 152. A leftwardly extending hook-shaped arm 222 on the rock shaft 214 engages a short right angle extension 224 of the vamp spreader toggle link 196. The breaking of the toggle links 151, 152 to release the clamping jaws causes the arm 220 to be rocked leftwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 so that rock shaft 214 is turned positively in a counterclockwise direction so that the arm 222 acting on the lateral extension 224 positively moves the vamp spreader toggle connection from the straightened position of Fig. 4 to the fully collapsed position of Fig. 5 in which the vamp spreaders 147 and 148 have been moved to their open release position.

The downward movement of the upper vamp spreader 147 by the operator to the upper clamping position is utilized to close a machine start microswitch to place the machine in operation. The switch referred to is indicated at 225 in Figs. 1, 2, and ll and forms a part of the machine starting circuits, being simliar both in construction and in general mode of operation with the corresponding switch illustrated in the Fossa Patent No. 2,461,889, above referred to. The microswitch 225 is xedly mounted on the side of the turret casing 52. With the present construction a novel construction is employed l for controlling the operation of the microswitch 225 from the vamp spreader arm 147 which consists in the provision of an upwardly extending contact pin 226 which is slidably supported in a sleeve member 227 arranged to turn on pivots 228. A spring 229 (see Fig. 1) tends to swing the contact pin 226 in a counterclockwise direction to the limiting position of Fig. 2 in which the sleeve member 227 is engaged against an adjustable stop screw 230. In order to render the contact pin 226 operative to actuate the microswitch, the upper vamp Ispreader 147 is arranged to extend beyond the edge of the lower vamp spreader 148 so that as the upper clamp is moved downwardly by the operator, it can be sprung somewhat beyond its normal closed position to engage against the upper end of the contact pin 226 which is thus caused to move axially downwardly to actuate the microswitch 225. It will be noted that the sleeve member 227 on the contact pin 226 is pivotally supported on the pins 228 so that as the indexing of the turret subsequently takes place, the post can be knocked aside by the leading end of the lower auxiliary clamping member as the indexing movement of the turret'cam'es the Work assembly from the loading to the eyeleting station. s

A novel mechanism is provided for supporting and for adjusting the position of the measuring bar 149. The mechanism shown has the advantage that it is readily adjustable by the operator in accordance with the lacing requirements of the particular upper being operated upon, is compact, and is so arranged on the workholder to permit the shoe upper, including the quarter portion thereof, to be placed in the desired location on the workholder with either the inside or outside surface of the eyelet flaps facing upwardly as may be desired. As best shown in Figs. 7, 9, and l0, the lace measuring bar 149 is mounted on an arm 234 which is pivotally supported for angular adjustment on a horizontally extending Y bracket 235 mounted on a vertically adjustable post 236 shoe. f blucher;type of shoe in which the shoe is assembled on which i-s axially shiftable in the socket 138 forming an integral part of the workholder 132. The bracket 235 carries a transversely disposed pivot pin 237 on which the arm 234 is mounted tok turn. Two arcuate scales'238 and 240 are formed in a vertically disposed plate 241 mounted from the upper end of the post 236 for indicating respectively the position of angular adjustment of the arm 234 and the position of vertical adjustment of the lace measuring bar assembly including the post 236. For determining the angular position of the lace measuring bar 149, the arm 234 is extended rearwardly across a portion of the plate 241 opposite the scale 238 and is held in adjusted position in relation thereto by means of a small spring detent 242 which is spring pressed against a series of serrations 244 on the plate 241 (see Fig. 7). Vertical adjustment of the lace measuring bar 149 bodily is effected by means of a manually operated adjusting lever 246 which, as best shown in Fig. 7, is supported to turn on a pivot pin 248 supported by the Ascale plate 241 and an auxiliary supporting plate 250 secured to the lace measuring bar carrying post 236. The adjusting lever 246 extends across the portion of the plate 241 opposite the scale 240 and is held in adjusted position with relation thereto by means ofv a spring detent 252 which frictionally engages with a series of serrations 254 formed on the plate 241. A laterally extending arm of the vertical adjusting lever 246 is connected by means of a link 256 with a lug 258 on a vertical plate 260 secured to the post'236.

Further in accordance with the invention, the lace measuring bar 149 is mounted to be readily removable to permit a plurality of such lace measuring bars of difyferent lengths to be interchangeably employed in the machine for the eyeleting and lacing of different types of It has been found, for example, that with the a last with the sides of the lacing slit in substantially spread parallel relation, a long measuring bar is required which extends over the outer tin (Fig. 7) in order to -measure the length of the lacing which is preferably placed' in the eyelets formed at the throat of the lacing slit. With a bal type of shoe, on the other hand, in which the upper is'assembled on a last with the sides of the lacingk slit close together at the base and spread out toward the upper end, a relatively short lace measuring bar is preferred since no regulation of the lacing insertedthrough the eyelets at the base of the lacing slit is required and the adjustment of the lace measuring bar is such as to cause the tip of a full-length lace measuring bar to interfere with the outer lin. For ready re- -moval and replacement of the lace .measuring bar 149, Athe bar is provided intermediate its length with a trans- 'verse bearing pin 262'which is arranged to drop into a recess'or transverse slot 264 formed at the outer end of arm 234. 'The upper end of the lace measuring bar is vholed to receive a pivot pin 266 carried on a spring plate 268, secured' to the arm 234 and arranged for the free position of the spring to pass through the lhole in the measuring bar and through an aligned hole in the arm 11 234. The arrangement above described and illustrated is such as to cause the lace measuring bar to rest normally in its adjusted position as determined by the angular adjustment of the arm 234. However, the lace measuring bar is free to move upwardly about the pivot pin 266 in the event that the arm is engaged while portions of the work support are supported thereon during the feeding movements of the work support outwardly at either of the eyeleting or lacing stations of the machine. With the construction shown, all of the pivoted connections are made very loosely so that the lace measuring bar will be free to drop downwardly again to its normal position so that a minimum risk exists that the bar will remain in its raised position and be brought into interfering engagement with outlying portions of the lacing mechanism during the indexing movement of the work support away from the eyeleting station and to and from the lacing station of the machine.

The shoe upper is located on the workholder 132 at the loading station P in a manner similar to that employed in the Fossa Patent No. 2,461,889, above referred to. The upper in a flattened-out condition and with the two edges of the lacing slit in adjacent edge-facing relation is placed on the workholder with the counter portion thereof extending inwardly toward the center of the turret. In the event that the upper is placed in position with the inside surface thereof up for the insertion of invisible eyelets, the counter portion of the upper will be positioned above clamping level and will be placed in an encircling position over the movable upper clamping jaws 146 and lace measuring bar 149. If, as contemplated alternatively in accordance with the present invention, the upper is located in a spread-out position with the outside surface of the upper facing upwardly for the insertion of visible eyelets, the heel portion of the upper will be placed in a depending position encircling the lower portion of the workholder 132 and guideway 131. In either event the upper in its spread-out position is moved inwardly on the workholder to a position in which the edges of the ankle portion of the upper adjacent the lacing slit engage against two locating pins 272 (Fig. 3) which are located with relation to the workholder at the loading station in accordance with the setting of the sizing device for the machine. At the same time the edges of the lacing slit are positioned laterally on the workholders by engagement with two fins 274 and 276 arranged to project upwardly through the aperture provided between the parallel clamping surfaces of the workholder.

In accordance with the invention a novel arrangement of the supporting and actuating mechanism for the locating pins 272 and fins 274 and 276 is provided for use in the illustrated machine. A separate shoe upper locating assembly including a pair of locating pins 272 and a lacing margin separating fin 274 is provided with each workholder mounted on a slide 278 for movement freely in a vdirection radially of the turret along the resective guideway. The slide, including the locating pins 272 and adjacent iin 274 associated with each workholder, is positively located at the locating station by means of a gate cam which is adjustable in accordance with the setting of the upper sizing device. The connections for adjusting the position of the locating pins is constructed and arranged to avoid any possible interference with the positioning of the upper including the encircling heel portion on the workholder in either of its two alternative inside and outside positions. The slide 278, as best shown in Figs. 3, 7, and 8, comprises a bottom plate supported for sliding movement in a guideway formed between the bottom face of the workholder and an H-shaped guide plate 280, a top plate 281, the locating pins 272 which serve also as tie members'for fastening together the top and bottom plates of the slide 278, and the iin 274 which is secured directly to the top plate 281. The guide plate 280 is held in spaced relation to the bottom surface of the workholder by means of machine screws 282.

A pin 283 extending downwardly from the underside of the workholder 132 into a slot 284 in the slide 278 serves to limit the movement of the slide in either direction.

The mechanism provided in accordance with the pressent invention for rendering the size adjustment devices of the machine, previously described, operative to control the position of the slide 278 and locating pins 2'72 lat the locating station comprises a gate cam 28S (Fig.

'ing station to the left side of the machine to the loading station at the front of the machine. The gate cam 285 takes the form of a horizontally dispo ed flat plate with converging raised cam edges 290 and is located irnmediately beneath the work-holder supporting disk adjacent the hub portion 129 of the turret so that there is no tendency for the heel portions of an upper mounted on a workholder to be brought into interfering engagement therewith. The gate cam 285 is mounted on the slide 128 previously referred to as forming a part of the upper locating device for movement bodily therewith upwardly and rearwardly of the machine. As

best shown in Fig. ll, slide 128 is arranged for forward and back movement in a guidcway 291 fastened to a supporting bracket 292 carried on the turret casing 52 (see Figs. 1l and l2) and arranged so that it cxtends radially inwardly over the turret cover. At its rear end the slide 128 is formed with an arcuate portion 293 which extends to the left side of the.machine and terminates in a downwardly extending bar or post 294 to which the gate cam 285 is rigidly secured. AS `shown in Fig. 7, post 294 is provided with an offset portion which rides on the edge of the stationary ring 72 which thereby serves as an additional supporting and guiding surface for the gate cam assembly.

The outer n 276 associated with each workholder unit is mounted on a spring plate 300 (see Figs. 3 and I7) which is secured to and projects outwardly from the turret workholder support disk 130 directly beneath v the guideway 131.

With this arrangement the outer iin together with its supporting spring plate 300 are so placed that they will not interfere with the placing of the encircling heel portion of the shoe upper in position around these parts. It has been found necessary, however, during the performance of the eyeleting and lacing operations to move the outer fin 276 out of engagement with the clamped upper in order to permit the feeding of the workholder and supported upper outwardly from the turret into cooperative relationship with each of these mechanisms. In order to render the outer fin inoperative at each of the eyeleting and lacing stations, the spring plate 360 is arranged at the eyeleting station to be cngaged with a cam 302 (see Figs. 7 and 14) and at the lacing station to be engaged with a similar cam, not shown, so that the spring plate 39) is flexed downwardly, thus moving the outer tin 276 to a depressed inoperative position.

The operation of the work positioning clamping and transfer devices of themachine for the locating of an upper on the workholder at the loading station, the transfer of the workholder to each of the eyeleting, lac ing, and unloading stations in turn, and the nal rcmoval of the eyeletcd and laced upper from thc machine of each quarter turn, the eyeleting and lacing'mechanisms' are rendered operative to perform their respective functions, the workholdcrs being thereafter returned to their retracted positions on the turret, and the machine is stopped. This operation of the driving mechanism and turret is in accordance with the disclosure of Fossa Patent No. 2,461,889, above referred to.

With each indexingmovement of the turreta workholder is broughtl from the unloading station at the left of the machine to the loading7 station at the front of the machine. During this movement, the follower 286 associated with the locating pin slide assembly engages with and is brought under the control of the gate cam 28S (see Figs. 8 and 1l). Also during this movement of the workholder to the loading station, the upper clamp release cam 168 on the one revolution drive shaft 82 acts through connections which include the follower lever 172, shaft' l174, arm 176, ylink 178, arm 180,r shaft 182, and arm 184 (see Fig. 12) to raise the slide 164 and plunger 162 (see Fig. 7) to trip toggle links 151, 162, and thereby-to raise the clamping jaws 146 to release the eyeleted and laced upperl mounted thereon. A rocking movement of theclamping jaws and toggle links 151, 152 to the broken, shoe upper release position acts through work pin 153 and arm 220 secured thereto, arm 218 engaged by arm 220, rock shaft 214, arm 222, and lateral extension 224, at the same time to move the vamp spreader toggle links 196, 198 to the broken vamp spreader open position of Fig. 5. The completed shoe upper is now ready to be moved from the machine by the operator.

Prior to the placing of a new shoe upper in the machine adjustment of the lace measuring or allocating bar 149 and of the shoe upper sizing device of the machine may be required. In the present construction the height and angle of the measuring bar associated with the workholder at the loading station is readily determined by adjustment of the manual vertical and angle control levers 246, 234 (Fig. 7). Adjustment of the shoe upper sizing device is obtained by adjustment of the upwardly extending lever arm S8 (Fig. 12) which as previously noted acts to control the forward and back position of gate cam 265 (Fig. l1), the slide 278 (Fig. 8) controlled thereby, and sizing pins 272 `in accordance with the shoe size of the upper to be operated upon. A corresponding correction is made at the same time in the position of cam lever1tl1 which in turn controls the position of the associated cam 92 utilized for transferring the size adjustment to the eyeleting and thereafter to the lacing station of the machine.

The operator now places the new upper to be operated upon in position on the workholder at the loading station, the edge portions of the ankle adjacent the upper ends of the lacing ilaps being placed against the locating pins Y 272, and the edges of the lacing flaps being placed in edge-facing relation in engagement with the two locating fins 274, 276. In placing the upper on the workholder with the outside surface thereof facing upwardly for the insertion of visible eyelets, as shown for example in Fig. 7,'the heel or quarter portion of the upper is projected longitudinally onto the workholder with the heel in an encircling position around and beneath the stationary jaws of the workholder 132 and the guideways 131 associated therewith.

The operator is now in position to start the machine.

l The shoe clamp is applied by the operation of the foot treadle which acts to depress the vcontrol shaft 156 and lug 155 which engages with the strap 154 to move the clamp toggle 151, 152 to its straightened position. The

upper vampspreader arm 147 is then grasped by the "14' arm 212 as thevamp spreader toggle links 196, 198 are straightened causes the toggle to be moved to a beyondcenter locking position.

Upon movement of the workholder to the eyeleting station as shown in Fig. 7, the outer positioning lin 276, supported on spring plate 300, is moved downwardly to a depressed out-of-the-way position by the engagement of a xed cam 302 at the eyeleting station with the outer end of the spring plate 300, as shown in Figs. 7 and 14. A similar cam 303 is provided at the lacing station which acts in a similar manner to depress the outer iin 276 prior to the start of the lacing operation a shoe upper mounted on the workholder with the lacing margins in either of the two alternative inside-up and outside-up positions above referred to. Auxiliary support is provided for the shoe upper particularly during the period when the clamping devices are released as the workholder returns to the loading station, and for the assistance of the operator in removing the eyeleted and laced upper from the machine fby means of a shield or guard 310 (Figs. 5, 7 and 11) which is of generally conical shape and extends slightly more than a quarter of the way about the turret beneath the projecting ways 131 from the unclamping station to the loading station of the machine. The shield 310 provides an auxiliary support for the upper when released by the clamping devices and also acts during the removal of the eyeleted and laced upper from the machine by the operator as a guiding surface to prevent engagement or catching of the heel portion of the upper with the lateral extension 192 associated with the lower vamp spreader arm 148. For this 'purpose the conical shield is constructed and arranged to permit the vamp spreader arm 148 to be upper supported with the outside surface facing upwardly and with the heel encircling the lower clamp and guideway. It will be understood that a similar support may be provided for shielding the heel portion of an upper supported with the inside surface facing upwardly from contact with the upper vamp spreader arm 147 during removal of the upper. y

An improved auxiliary supporting device is provided -for` controlling the outwardly disposed toe ,portion of the shoe upper which with the illustrated construction may be supported with the eyelet flaps in either an insideup or an outside-up position during the transfer of the upper from the loading station to the eyeleting station and during the feeding movements of the workholder outwardly for the performance of the eyeleting operation. The supporting device referred to comprises an auxiliary table 314- (Fig. 11) which is located at the side of the eyeleting station toward the loading station, `beingsupported from the eyeleting machine on a bracket 316, and is separated from the eyeleting mechanism feed slide 142 to permit the downwardly projecting heel and side portions of an upper located on the workholder in an outside-up position to -be fed outwardly between the eyeleting mechanism and table 314 without interference. Additional support is provided for the outlying toe portions of the upper at the eyeleting station by means of an auxiliary guide 318 in the form of an arcuately bent wire which is mounted on the eyeleting machine operator, and moved manually downwardly to its clamping position in which it engages with the upwardly extending post 226 of the machine start microswitch '22S to start the machine.

The downwardly swinging movement of the weighted feed lslide for movement therewith radially outwardly from the turret during the progress of the eyeleting operation. The auxiliary guide 318 is bent to conform substantially to the curvature of the periphery of the turret casing and with the end portion thereof overlying the table 314. During the indexing movement of the turret which carries a workholder and clamped upper from the loading to the eyeleting station, the outlying toe portions of the upper will be engaged by the table 314 and thereafter by the laterally extending auxiliary guide 318. This support is maintained during the subsequent feeding movement of the workholder outwardly away from the turret by the movement therewith of the guide 318, the end of which continues to ride on the auxiliary table 314.

Referring further to Fig. 1l it will be seen that a similar side table 320 is provided at the right hand side of the lacing mechanism of the machine, being supported from a bracket 324 on the turret casing. The side 'table 320 is spaced from the lacing machine to permit the side and heel portions of the upper to move between the lacing machine and the side table 320 during the outward feeding movement of the work support at the lacing station. A horizontally disposed arcuate wire guide member 326 is rigidly secured to the lacing machine slide 145 adjacent the turret, and projects from the slide suiciently so that the end thereof overlies the side table 320. It will readily be appreciated that during the indexing movement of a loaded work support to the lacing station, and subsequently during the outward feeding movement of the workholder, loose portions of the upper will be adequately supported by the side table 320 and also :by the arcuate guide member 326 which moves outwardly away from the turret along with the lacing feed mechanism.

Figs. 15 to 21 inclusive illustrate a modification of the shoe upper supporting and clamping device embodying certain additional features of the invention. The improvement shown in these figs. consists of a novel device for detecting and removing from the operating zone of the eyeleting and lacing mechanisms, stray portions of the lining material-associated with the'shoe upper which might otherwise interfere with the insertion of the initial pairs of eyelets and lacing. This feature of the invention is particularly intended to correct a condition in which the lining assembled with the shoe upper is loosely or improperly trimmed so that the lining overles that portion of the lacing machine in which the iirst pair or pairs of eyelets will be placed. ln accordance with the invention a modified form of vamp spreader is shown which has been adapted to perform the additional function of engaging and drawing away from the location of the first eyelet pair any overlying or excess portions of the lining of a shoe upper mounted on the machine.

The improved vamp spreader unit shown in Figs. 15 to 2l comprises upper and lower vamp spreaders which are supported in the same manner as the vamp spreaders 147, 148 previously described, to swing about the common pivot 19t), and are similarly connected for related movement to engage simultaneously against opposite faces of the vamp portion of the upper. The moditied form of the upper vamp spreader for engaging the upwardly turned face of the supported upper (see Figs. 16 and 17) comprises a shank 430 arranged to turn about the horizontal pivot 19t) and having at its outer end a iiat plate 431 fixed to said shank 430, and a transversely extending vamp engaging arm 432 arranged to turn about a pivotal connection 434 with the plate 431. The lower vamp spreader (see Figs. 16 and 18) similarly comprises a shank portion 436 arranged to turn about the horizontal pivot pin 19t) and having iixed at its outer end a at plate 437, and a laterally extending vamp spreader arm 438 arranged to turn about a pivot 439 on the plate 437. The upper vamp spreader' arm 432 is formed with a rearwardly extending tail portion which is connected by means of a tension spring 440 with a lug 442 on the plate 431. The movement of the vamp spreader arm 432 in a clockwise direction about its pivot 434 toward the base of the work support under the influence of spring 440 is limited by the engagement of the butt end of 432 with an offset stop bracket 444 on the plate 431, and by the.

engagement of the outer edge of said tail portion with a turned over edge 446 of the plate. The lower vamp spreader is similarly acted upon by a tension spring 448 which is connected between the tail portion of the vamp spreader arm 438 and a lug 450 on the plate 437 which position tends to rock the vamp spreader arm 438 in a clockwise direction to a limiting position in which the tail portion engages a bracket 452 on the shank plate 437 and in which the outer edge of the tail portion engages against a turned over edge 454 of the shank plate 437. The vamp spreader arm 432 has mounted thereon a pair of spring hooks 456 which are arranged for the normally retracted position of the spreader arm 432 of Fig. 17 to hook over the inner edge of the overlying lining material indicated at 457. When, as shown in Figs. 15 to 21 inelusive, the machine is set up for operation upon a shoe upper having the inside lining portion thereof facing upwardly for the insertion of invisible eyelets, a swinging movement of the vamp spreader arm 432 outwardly in a counter clockwise direction from the position shown in Figs. 17 and 21 will cause the hooks 456 to engage with and draw outwardly any overlying or excess portions of the lining as shown for example in Fig. 19, so that this excess lining material is positively removed from the location of the first pair of eyelets. The vamp spreader arm 438 is similarly provided with a pair of hooks 458 which are operative to engage with and draw aside any overlying portions of the lining in a shoe upper placed on the shoe support in an outside-up position for the insertion of visible eyelets.

The vamp spreader arms 432 and 438 are moved outwardly so that the hooks 456 and 458 will act to draw aside any stray portions of lining engaged thereby by means of` an actuating mechanism which is located at the eyelet station of the machine and which is rendered operative automatically at the start of the eyeleting operation. The vamp spreader arms 432, 438 having been moved to the extended position, shown for example in Figs. 18 and 19, are supported in this position by means of a latching device which is disengaged to permit the return of the vamp spreader arms to the retracted position of Fig. 17 only when the vamp spreaders are again moved to their open work-release position.

` The device for moving the upper vamp spreader arm 432 outwardly comprises a downwardly curved actuating arm 462 secured to the lower end of a vertical rock shaft 464 mounted in a sleeve bracket 466 on the frame 468 of the eyeleting machine. Rotation of the shaft l464 causes the ott-set lower end of the arm 462 to engage against a lip 469 formed on the outer edge of the vamp spreader arm 432 to move the vamp spreader arm outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 19. A laterally' extending arm 470 secured to the upper end of rock shaft 464 is connected by a link 472 with an arm 474 connected to the upper end of a vertically disposed control rock shaft 476 which is mounted in bearings formed in the two laterally off-set ends of a vertically disposed bracket 478 secured to the frame of the eyeleting machine. A collar 480 pinned to the rock shaft 476 and arranged to bear against the upper end of the bracket 478, serves to support the shaft vertically in its bearings. The device for moving the lower vamp spreader arnr438 outwardly comprises an actuating arm 482 which is secured to the upper end of a rock shaft 484 mounted in a sleeve bracket 486 on the eyeleting machine frame, and having the off-set upper end thereof arranged for engagement with a downwards turned lip 488 formed in the outer edge of the vamp spreader arm 438. A lever arm 490 secured to the rock shaft 484 is connected by a link 487 with a lever arm 489 fastened onto the vertical control rock shaft 476. These aarts are so arranged that a rocking movement of the control rock shaft 476 in a counter-clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 15 is eiiective to cause theactuating arms 462 and 482 to engage with and move the respective vamp spreader arms 432 and 438 outwardly to the clear position specifically illustrated in Figs. l5, 18, and 19 of the drawings. This rocking movement of the control rock shaft 476 is eiected automatically by means of a connection with the starting and stopping control mechanism for the eyeleting machine. An arm 491 secured to the lower end of the vertical control rock shaft 476 is connected by a link 492 to a downwardly extending arm 493 secured to a rock shaft 494 which forms part of the mechanism for throwing the eyeleting machine into operation at the completion of an indexing movement of the work supporting turret of the machine.

The vamp spreader arms 432 and 438 are supported in their extended positions in which the lining engaged by the hooks 456, 458 continues to be held aside, by means of a latch mechanism which automatically locks the vamp spreader arms 432, 438 in their extended positions, and which is released only when the vamp spreaders are moved apart to release the shoe upper. The latch mechanism referred to comprises a pair of spring latches 560 and 502 secured respectively to the tail portions of plates 431 and 437 and which project over the tail portions of the respective vamp spreader amis 432 and 438. The spring latch 50i) has secured in the outer end thereof a latch pin 504 which extends downwardly through a notch 506 formed arcuately in the tail portion of arm 432 about the pivotal support 434 as a center, thence downwardly through over-sized holes 508 vin the plates r431 and 437, see Fig. 18, and at its lower end bears against the face of the tail portion of the lower vamp spreader arm 433. The latch pin 564 is pressed downwardly by Ithe spring latch 500, so that as the vamp spreader arm 438 is swung outwardly (counterclockwise in Fig. 30), the pin will drop into an aperture 5Min the face of the tail portion of spreader arm 438 to latch the vamp spreader arrn 433 in its extended position. Spring latch 562 is secured to the -under vamp spreader shank 436 and is arranged to extend outwardly along the underside of the vamp spreader arm 43S. At its outer end the spring latch 502 carries a latch pin 512 which extends upwardly through a notch 514 in the tail portion of vamp spreader arm 43S formed arcuately about the vamp spreader arm pivot plate 439 as a center, thence through over-sized holes in the vamp spreader plates 437 and. 431, and at its upper end engages against the underside or tail portion of the upper vamp spreader arm 432. An outward movement of the vamp spreader arm 432 about its pivot 434 causes the latch 512 to drop into an aperture 516 in the face of the tail portion of the vamp spreader arm 432. With this construction and arrangement of parts it will be readily appreciated that the vlatching device acts to latch the respective vamp spreader arms 432, 43S in their relatively extended positions, and that the respective latches are released to permit the return of the vamp spreader'arms 432, 43S to their retracted positions under the influence of the springs 440, 448 when the vamp spreaders are moved relatively away from one another to release the nished upper. By such movement v the latch pin 5114 associated with the upper spring latch 50u is positively withdrawn from the aperture in the lower vamp spreader arm 432, while at the same time the pin 512 in the lower latch '502 is similarly positively moved away from its engaging aperture. The vamp spreader arms 432, 433 released in this manner return to their normal operating position, shown in Fig. 17, under the inuence of springs 440, 448.

The operation of the machine will be described in connection with the eyeleting and lacing of a shoe upper supoprted on a workh-older with the lacing margins in an opened out edge-facing relation, and with the outside or nished surface of the upper facing upwardly for the insertion of visible eyelets.

Itis assumed that the machine has stopped. The prel 18 viously completed upper, eyeleted and laced by the lmachine is removed by the operator, being drawn outwardly oi the work support. The guard 310 serves to guide-the heel portion Athereof over the inner edge of the retracted lower vamp spreader arm 148 (see Fig. 6). The operator will now make such machine adjustments as may be required in accordance with the style and size of upper about to be placed on the workholder. A measuring bar 149 suitable to the style of shoe upper to be operated upon is mounted on the arm 234 (Fig. 7) and is adjusted for height by manual adjustment of lever 246 and for angle by manual adjustment of the arm 234. The control lever S8 is set for shoe size (see Fig. l2). The workholder 132 at the loading station is fully retracted (see Figs. l, 3 and 11) being held so by engagement of cam follower member 139 ony post 236 with cam slot 140 (see Fig. 7). The gage pins 272 and inner n 274 mounted onslide 27S on `the workholder 132 are located by engagement of follower member 286 (Fig. 9) with the narrow portion of gate cam 285 located in accordance with the setting of the control lever 88 (Figs. 1l and 12). The outer fin 276 mounted on spring plate 300 is spring pressed upwardly into position. The moveable lacing margin clamping jaws 146 have'been moved upwardly to an inoperative position to release the completed upper and to permit the insertion of a new upper. The vamp spreaders 147 and 14S are in open position.

In order to load the new shoe upper onto the workholder the operator pushes the shoe upper onto the work 'support in an upright position with the heel toward the axis of the turret and'bent downwardly so that the rail guideways 131 and lower. lacing margin clamping jaws including pins 136 of the work holder 132 are projected through the ankle opening of the upper.

The two lacing margins of the upper are placed in edgefacing relation at opposite sides of the tins 274 and 276, and the edges ofthe ankle opening adjacent thereto are placed against the locating pins 272.

In order `to clamp the upper in its adjustedv position the operator steps on the foot treadle (not shown) which acts to depress control shaft 156 (Fig. 7) acting through actuating lug and strap 154 to straighten toggle links 151, 152 and thereby to depress the upper lacing margin clamping jaws 146 toward the pins 136. The upper vamp spreader arm 147 is now moved down with suicient force to engage contact .pin 226 and to close the machine starting micro-switch 225, causing the machine to start. The lower vamp spreader 148 is simultaneously moved upwardly so that the outlying portions of the vamp yare supported in a horizontal plane between the two vamp spreaders 147, 148. Downward movement of the weighted arm 212 (Figs. 5 and 4) causes toggle links 196, 198 to be moved to a straightened past center locking position.

An indexing movement of the work supporting turret now takes place so that the newly loaded workholder 132 is moved about the turret axis 90 degrees to the eyeleting station. At the eyeleting station the Spring plate 31N) and outer tin 276 are depressed to inoperative position by engagement with cam 3192 (Fig. 7). The cam follower member 139 is aligned with a gateway 141 from the slot 140. The workholder is engaged with the eyelering feed slide 142 and is given a stepped outward movement for 'the insertion of successive pairs of eyelets, and is thereafterl returned toits starting positionpreparation for the next succeeding indexing movement of the turret. Inasmuch as the eyeleting machine is similar to that fully describedl and illustrated in applicants prior Patent No. 2,461,889 above referred to, no specific description of this operation is included herewith.

For the more adequate support of the vamp portion of the upper when mounted in the machine with the outside surface facing upwardly for the insertion of visible eyelets the Vamp portion of .the upper isjarrangedup'on vapproaching the eyeleting station to be en- 

